There are various types of garments that are commonly used for aquatic sports (e.g., surfing, sailing, paddling, swimming, diving, scuba diving, etc.) and other aquatic activities (collectively, “aquatic activities”).
It is known in the art to provide a garment having a knitted textile. Such garments can be constructed of a very high stretch knitted textile and configured to be form-fitting, or can be constructed of a less stretchable knitted textile and configured to fit more loosely. Garments with knitted textiles can have good breathability, drape, and stretch characteristics; however, when exposed to water, such garments can become heavy and cold due to the inherently high absorbent construction of knitted textiles. When a knitted textile becomes saturated with water, the thermal conductivity of the garment is significantly increased due to the high thermal conductivity of water and evaporative cooling effects of the wet knitted textile. Further, the stretch recovery of knitted textiles can be reduced when wet, causing the garment to stretch and sag, and thereby reducing wearer comfort.
It is known in the art to provide a garment having a knitted textile with a durable water repellent (DWR) coating or treatment. Although a DWR coating or treatment can provide some resistance to the absorbance of water, water can still be absorbed during the normal life of the garment. In addition, the effectiveness of a DWR coating or treatment reduces during the normal life of the garment due to washing and abrasion, allowing the garment to absorb more water, and stretch and sag during use.
It is also known in the art to provide a garment having a stretch-woven textile. Stretch-woven textiles can also be relatively light and thin, and can provide excellent coverage of the wearer's body. Stretch-woven textiles can be configured to have excellent stretch recovery compared to knitted textiles, due to reduced friction and movement between yarns when in their elongated state. Improved stretch recovery allows garments having stretch-woven textiles to return to their original shape and therefore provide improved fit and comfort to the wearer. This is particularly important when used in wet conditions.
Yarns within known stretch-woven textiles are typically arranged in a very close and tight structure, with very small gaps between adjacent yarns, as compared to the yarns in known knitted textiles. Stretch-woven textiles can be configured to absorb less water content than stretchable knitted textiles, due at least in part to smaller spaces between yarns. In addition, when a stretch-woven textile is comprised of a hydrophobic material, or is provided with a DWR coating or treatment, the stretch-woven textile can exhibit excellent hydrophobicity compared to knitted textiles, due at least in part to smaller spaces between yarns and/or the relatively smooth surface texture of the stretch-woven textile.
It is known in the art to use a stretch-woven textile to produce a loose-fitting water short for use in aquatic activities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,849,518 discloses a loose-fitting water short that includes a stretch-woven textile.
It is known in the art to use a stretch-woven textile to produce a tight-fitting, high-performance swimsuit. Such swimsuits are known to provide improved hydrodynamic performance and reduced drag. For example, International Patent Publication No. 2009/125438 discloses a stretch-woven textile having a polytetraflouroethylene-based (PTFE-based) coating to provide hydrophobic function for use in high-performance swimsuits. Although such textiles can provide good hydrodynamics for high-performance use, the high modulus of elasticity and the touch of the textile has generally been uncomfortable for use in other garments. Also, the construction of the textile provides good hydrophobic performance when the PTFE-based coating is applied, but the durability of the PTFE-based coating is not adequate to provide continuous water repellency to the garments during normal use.
It is known in the art to provide a substantially waterproof garment. Such garments typically include a substantially waterproof composite material, such as a textile laminated with a neoprene foam or another waterproof film or coating. Such garments are commonly configured to be form-fitting, and include a high stretch knitted textile to allow high stretch and freedom of movement to the wearer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,395,553 discloses a wetsuit material having a wool inner layer attached to neoprene foam. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0023631 discloses another substantially waterproof garment. Substantially waterproof garments can provide good thermal insulation to the wearer, but can have poor breathability. Also, substantially waterproof garments are not suitable for high metabolic activity or warm weather conditions.
Several methods for providing hydrophobic functional layers to textiles are known in the art. The most common methods involve the application of fluorocarbon-based chemicals via a bath or dipping process, pad treatment process, and/or spray or other processes. Other methods known in the art include deposition or polymerization of thin organic or in-organic layers via a process of vacuum vapor deposition. For example, International Patent Publication No. 2014/056966 discloses a method of coating a textile via a process of contacting a fabric with a monomer and subjecting it to low power plasma polymerization in a low pressure vacuum. The monomer can be selected to provide hydrophobicity and/or oleophobicity.
Aspects of the present invention are directed these and other problems.